The Antoniadis Villa and Gardens

Antwnyades, Qesm Al Attarin, Alexandria

Antwnyades, Qesm Al Attarin, Alexandria

Photo from 'thenileknight.blogspot.com'

The Villa of Antoniadis is a very famous and important site in Alexandria. A wealthy palace for a once-wealthy group, Villa Antoniadis still remains an exclusive place, it includes statues and a tropical greenhouse. The house itself is surrounded by the Antoniadis Gardens, the Flower Garden, the Zoo and Nozha Gardens. Driving past now on the way to the airport, the tall royal palms and stone pines give just a glimpse of the rare and precious trees which were gathered to fill the garden, and yet it's one of the least visited attractions of Alexandria.

It lies near the Mahmoudia Canal at the southern entrance of Alexandria. The Antoniadis garden is just 300-400m from Sidi Gaber Train Station, and just 10 minutes from Nouzha Airport. The rich cultural background of this magnificent location is an added inspiration for the diversity, pluralism and interaction that the Mediterranean represents.The Villa is made of a ground floor of 1085 square meters, a first floor of 860 square meters, a roof of 480 square meters area, and a basement of 434 square meters, with a total area of 2859 square meters. The ground and first floors include 15 rooms each.

Here, once the venue for military bands, diverse greenery originally planted during the reign of the Khedive Ismail have grown to maturity. The Antoniadis Gardens include beautiful statues and a tropical greenhouse. The Zoological Gardens were opened in 1907 and cover 25 acres. But watch out. Among the many species of birds are macaws, that swear like sailors, tutored by long-departed British soldiers.'In its day it was the place to be seen and was the gathering place for Alexandria’s elite. Lavish entertainments, both inside and outside the house, where guests were serenaded by military bands on summer evenings, on lavish lawns and amidst splendid and exotic greenery, were the villa’s speciality. The beautiful statues within the grounds, from Classical Greece and Rome and from the most modern salons in Europe, were one of the very reasons for those grounds being laid out. A showcase palace for a wonderful private collection.' -Idris Tawfiq.

The Antoniadis Palace and its park are constructed as a miniature version of the Palace of Versaille. The Villa and its garden date back to the 19th century, and is mainly used to house a collection of statues sculpted in the Greek style There are several archeological remains, including a tomb and a cistern.